The will was not enough. The effort was not enough. When you are not a solid team there is not much that can be done. When too many elements squeak, the company becomes herculean. Barça is not out of the Champions League yet but it is in a coma, virtually out of the first continental competition. The suffered tie against Inter in a game of voltage leaves the Barcelona players practically eliminated. A victory for the Milanese on the next matchday against Viktoria would be enough to consummate Barcelona's failure. Not even advancing on the scoreboard propelled the Blaugrana team to victory. Not even playing against a dedicated and feverish Camp Nou pushed its players. Some do not know if they will serve in the future but others are not enough for more. Piqué is portrayed in two of Inter's goals and Busquets was shipwrecked again in a great game.
Barça attacked better and left their skin but without collective mortar or competitiveness without the ball, luck is more than cast in this tournament. The sports and economic earthquake is just around the corner again.
With passion and tension through the roof, Xavi opted for the same eleven as in Milan with the forced change of Piqué for the injured Christensen. The names did not change, but the device did. The Blaugrana coach ordered a manual 3-4-3, with Sergi Roberto advanced in midfield, Raphinha on the right and Dembélé on the left. Two wide open wingers and Pedri as a midfielder, to try to associate with a Lewandowski more surrounded than a command discovered in full ambush.
The idea was to risk more than in Italy and, above all, attack better. A commendable intention but that required ardor, concentration, intelligence and, above all, great precision. Because any loss of the ball could be penalized, because it was easy to fall into a sea of rushed crosses, because you had to alternate the pause with the rhythm. A complicated cocktail as Inter interrupted the match with numerous losses of time, because they had experience and because Inzaghi's team surprised the staff with a greater possession of the ball than expected.
Barça attacked in bulk and Inter did it in a dangerous and selective way. Hence, although Lewandowski was one step away from scoring with a shot that Calhanoglu deflected over the line, the best chance at the start of the match had an interista stamp. The Turkish midfielder himself masterfully took a free kick and Dzeko, alone and quickly, hooked a shot to the crossbar. A chill ran through the packed Camp Nou. The Champions was going from the edge of a hard.
It was not the only onslaught of Inter because Ter Stegen was forced to abort another frank shot from Dumfries on a counterattack.
Meanwhile, Barça insisted, especially on the side of a hyperactive Raphinha. He didn't get much out of it but he kept hitting over and over again. Corner after corner. Center after center. Gradually others joined the cause. Like Dembélé, who tried a long shot that Onana deflected. Or Sergi Roberto, who was also looking to tickle the goalkeeper, who was feline before a rush from Pedri.
The stadium went from hope to anxiety, but never lost faith. As Raphinha did not lose it to get an impossible ball against Dimarco. The Brazilian leaked a great pass to Sergi Roberto. The one from Reus crossed first and Dembélé appeared like a high-speed train in the heart of the area to advance Barça and to make the public, his teammates and Xavi explode with ecstasy. The Frenchman celebrated it with a euphoric run down the wing, very far from that footballer who looked like he was going through everything from other years.
The Blaugrana team had suffered but luck had given them a little hand and they had taken advantage of it to get ahead near the break.
Although there was much to protect and to improve. Triumph could not be escaped. It had to be supported as it was. But it happen the opposite. Barça, a flan behind, collapsed after an inconceivable gift from Piqué. It was after a distant center. The defender, as if he were a goalkeeper, looked around and did not notice that Barella was behind him. The Italian holed the draw and there was silence. Not only that, but Barça's glass jaw emerged, left groggy. Dzeko, stopped by Gavi, Calhanoglu and Skriniar, stopped by Ter Stegen, were on the verge of overtaking Inter.
The game was splitting, Busquets was a castaway who gave balls because he could no longer with his soul and Xavi took longer than necessary to introduce changes. The worst was seen to come when Lautaro did what he wanted with Eric Garcia, he surpassed him and beat Ter Stegen. There was half an hour left but that looked like a funeral. Yes, now new forces appeared with Ansu and De Jong, and later with Balde and Kessié, but the minutes fell like daggers on the Blaugrana's morale.
Lewandowski restored hope with a lucky kick that made it 2-2. The final stretch remained but Barça broke again. A long throw from Onana towards Lautaro was enough, which he crossed towards Gosens. Alone, he scored the third for Inter. Piqué was again under the spotlight. In a crazy outcome Lewandowski equalized again with a header. But the point leaves Barça in a coma. An era ended a long time ago and the next does not finish starting.
